All In
by Hithui
Summary: CSIFO May-June 2064 Episodes Titles Fan Fiction Challenge (csiforeveronline dot wikifoundry dot com) The CSI Crew has a poker night at Grissom's Loft
1. Chapter 1

_**All In**_

 _CSIFO May-June 2064 Episodes Titles Fan Fiction Challenge_

 _(csiforeveronline dot wikifoundry dot com)_

 _Rules: ~ One-Shot - any length but only 1 post per story_

 _~ Any of the CSI characters from the original series, either living or dead_

 _~ At least 2 of our beloved CSI characters must appear in the story_

 _~ Any Genre - AU, Fantasy, Crime, Comedy, Drama, Western, Historical, etc._

 _~ No cross-over with any other CSI series or show_

 _Episode Titles:_

 _~ Any of the 15 years of episode titles may be used in your story_

 _~ Minimum of 5 titles must be use_

 _~ Maximum of 20 titles may be used_

 _~ Titles must be used as part of a sentence, dialogue or description_

 _Setting: Season 6ish, though a little AU in that GSR is established and known in the lab :)_

 _Disclaimer: None of the characters or the concept of CSI are mine, I'm just playing with them a little._

* * *

Due to an unusual confluence of too much overtime and several cases coming to trial, the grave shift found themselves off for the entire weekend. By happenstance, it was Brass' normal weekend off rota, as well. And somehow, Grissom had found himself inviting everyone to his home for a poker night ... Gil vaguely recalled talking to Catherine and Sara as he was getting off of a double shift about how it would be a good thing for the whole team to get together sometime soon. So this night, the normal oasis of calm that was Grissom's loft, was filled with friends & lovers of good food, drinks and cards.

Grissom pushed back from the table after his latest win to the groans of the other players.

"Gonna take the money and run, Gil?" Brass groused, glaring at the pile of chips in front of the CSI supervisor.

Smirking at his longtime friend, the blue-eyed man shook his head slowly. "Seeing as all the snacks have been consumed, I thought you'd like a little room service," he teased, heading toward the kitchen.

"I'll give you a hand, Griss," Sara called, rising to a second chorus of groans.

"If the big shots aren't playing this round, maybe one of us working stiffs can win a hand!" Nick called out teasingly.

"Bite me, Nicky!" the brunette snarked back.

"I think Gil might object to that, Sara!" Catherine crowed, raising her iced tea as her co-worker stuck out her tongue and gave the red-head the finger.

"Cath, I know you like to play with fire, but I'd stop poking Sara, if I were you," Warrick warned in a low voice.

"Aw, I'm just teasing, War," she retorted, her gaze shifting from the duo in the kitchen and back to the poker table.

"Yeah, but Sara believes in the adage that revenge is best served cold."

Brass looke on in amusement as both Nick and Greg nodded solemnly.

"Sara always gets the last laught," the blond man whispered, nervously fingering his spiked locks.

"Wait, what, she got all of you?"

The three men exchanged glances, then slowly nodded at the red head.

Catherine glared at the trio. "Well, aren't you going to tell me?!"

Sounds of silence met her as they shook their heads in the negative, and refused to say a word.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: None of the characters or the concept of CSI are mine, I'm just playing with them a little._

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Grissom was cajoling Sara out of her irritation. "Cath doesn't really mean anything by it, Honey. She just has a compulsion to stick her nose into my business, like an older sister, even if she is younger than I." Grissom tenderly tucked a strand of hair behind Sara's ear, coaxing a smile out of her.

"I know, but it took us so long to get to here, I don't want anything to put a buzz kill on things," she shrugged, a helpless look in her dark eyes.

Sparking a quick glance to see that the poker group was busy and not paying them any attention, Grissom gave his love a searching, fearless kiss. "Let's make a deal," he murmured, as they both caught their breath. "I'll talk to Cath, try to get her to see that we don't appreciate her comments and that it's for the greater good that she back off."

"And if she doesn't?"

"Then I will help you pull as many pranks on her as you need to until you can get her to say uncle," he committed, then continued in a musing tone, "I wonder how many cockroaches would fit in her purse?"

Sara looked stunned, like he'd hit her with a 4x4. "Who are you?" she whispered in awe, before throwing her arms around him and hugging him fiercely.

Returning the hug, he chuckled, "Gentle, gentle, love, don't choke me," he teased, rubbing his hands up and down her back. As she relaxed, smiling brightly at him, Grissom continued. "Let's get the food out there. If this is to be Catherine's last supper before we overload her with our killer pranks, we want it to be a good one!" With one last kiss, he scooped up a couple of trays and headed back to the poker table.

Sara shook her head, spellbound for a moment with her absolute lover for this confounding man. The mischievous, bad to the bone streak that was hidden within the serious scientist always surprised her. "As he always says, assume nothing, Sidle," she chortled as she tather up the last of the trays and left the kitchen.


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: None of the characters or the concept of CSI are mine, I'm just playing with them a little._

Having failed to get the boys to give her any post mortem on the pranks Sara had pulled on them, and fearing that pushing any harder would backfire on her, Catherine had dropped the subject for now. Conversation had wandered a bit until the boys started telling crash and burn tales – hysterical disasters from their pasts.

First, Nick regaled them with the time he tried stealing home only to rip his pants as he slid in ... on the day he had gone commando! His disgruntlement over being called out only added to the laughter his story garnered.

Next, Warrick told them of a high end table stakes game he'd gotten in on, where one of the players tried to bet the girl, Kitty, he'd had sitting with him as his good luck charm. The dark-skinned man shuddered as he told them how the aging cougar had eyed him like a slab of prime rib. "First damn time I ever threw a hand," he muttered to the hoots of his friends.

Then Brass recounted taking his daughter, Ellie, out for a night at the movies where the Disney film he thought they were going to watch turned out to be a porn flick.

Finally, Greg was holding court, spinning the tale about his most epic science faire failure. "So I wanted a really big eruption and decided to add Shooting Stars fireworks to the mix. I lit the fuse, waited, and then BOOM! paper maché was all over my mother's pristine kitchen as the whole thing went up in smoke!"

Laughter erupted in the room.

Sanders grinned triumphantly. "Mom was seeing red when she saw the mess I had made with my science project. I tried to argue that if she hadn't sheltered me so much, I would have known better than to use fireworks in my volcano as a propellant. But the coup de grace was when she found out my father had give the rockets to me."

More laughter sounded around the table.

Seeing Grissom and Sara returning, Catherine smiled and raised her glass. "'Bout time you two returned from exile! Took you forever, and you missed some of the best stories."

"Mea culpa, Cath," Gil replied, setting the trays around within easy reach of his team. "You should know by now I don't rush into things, but when I do decide, I am all in." With a gentle smile, he helped Sara retake her seat, before reclaiming his own.

* * *

 _AN: This story my be disqualified as I have way more than 20 titles, but no more than 20 per chapter, or because I did it as three chapters ... mea culpa :) But this was the story the muse wanted, so enjoy!_


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